Durham, N.C. — It is high noon for the five pigs that fell out of a truck and got loose on Interstate 40 in Durham County in March.

The animals will be auctioned individually Friday to the highest bidder at the Durham County Animal Shelter, at 2117 E. Club Blvd. The auction is open to the public, and the pigs must be paid for in cash.

The money raised will pay for the care the shelter has provided to the pigs since March 30 when morning commuters spotted them running scared in the roadway and called police.

Shelter manager Shafonda Price said the pigs, estimated at 40-60 pounds at the time of their capture, have been thriving and growing while they are being held in Durham.